BURAS (June 8, 2010) - Today, Governor Jindal joined the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints for the Saints Rally to Support Coastal Louisiana in Buras at the Fort Jackson Wildlife Recovery Center. At the wildlife recovery center, Governor Jindal was joined by Saints owners Tom Benson and Rita Benson LeBlanc, Coach Sean Payton, Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and a host of other Saints players where they viewed many of the oiled birds that have been rescued after the BP oil spill. Governor Jindal was originally scheduled to host the Saints in Baton Rouge – which was scheduled months ago after they won the Super Bowl – but the Governor asked the team if they would join him in Plaquemines Parish instead so they can see the impact of the oil spill and also help lift the spirits of the people of coastal Louisiana.

Following the tour, the Governor and the Saints met with local residents and fishermen impacted by the oil spill. At the rally, Governor Jindal stressed that the perseverance of the Saints is much like the persistence of the people of Louisiana to overcome incredible challenges.

Governor Jindal said, “In the middle of a fight – in the middle of a battle or a game when the score is down – it is always hardest to imagine a victory. In this oil spill, with thousands and thousands of our people affected and their livelihoods at stake, this is the hardest time to believe that we will be whole again – that we will come back better than ever.

“The Saints are a living testament to why we believe in comebacks and to why we know victory can be born out of hard work and even after years of setbacks and losses. After 43 long years, the New Orleans Saints persevered through great odds and won their first ever Super Bowl. The game-changing plays from the Saints and the gutsy calls from Coach Payton made them heroes forever.

“Today – along our coast, we have new heroes – our coastal parish presidents, the fishermen who are laying our boom, the National Guardsmen who are help to contain the oil and the communities that are banding together to help each other out in their time of need. These are the heroes in this oil spill disaster response.

“To see this team overcome many challenges, even when the odds were against them, the Saints give our people the confidence that we will be successful despite the odds. We too will dig down deep yet again and we will win this fight to protect our coast. Even when other people may count us out or may count us as underdogs – we’re going to prevail. That’s the perseverance of the people of Louisiana.

“The most important lessons we can take from the Saints victory are two-fold. First, that with hard work and perseverance, the people of Louisiana can overcome anything. We are world champions- and nobody can keep us down. And secondly, we’re going to come back better than we were before.”